Holiday greetings from the 20th AF CC

  • Published
  • By Maj. Gen. Thomas Deppe
  • 20th Air Force Commander
F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo --  The changes in the weather signal the holiday season is fast approaching. In the next few weeks, many of you will be traveling across the country to meet with family and friends to celebrate the final holidays of 2006 and the beginning of 2007. This is the most joyous time of the year and I encourage everyone to take full advantage of it. 

We secure, operate and maintain nuclear weapons. With the excitement of planning trips and the anticipation of seeing loved ones on our minds, holiday distractions could easily cause someone to be uncharacteristically careless. 

As your commander, it's my responsibility to ensure that I do all I can to make sure you are taken care of, as well as taking care of the mission. Your safety during the holiday season is paramount! I want everyone to enjoy this holiday season in the safest possible way. If you're on or off duty, always plan your activities and practice risk management. Try to anticipate where you may encounter hazards and plan an escape. Always be aware of your environment and know the dangers. Try to plan for the unexpected and be flexible to changes. Always let someone know your plans. These are just a few examples of ways you can lessen the possibility of being in an accident or getting injured. 

I ask my supervisors at every level to be proactive in finding out what their troops are doing for the holiday season. Reinforce safety and risk management practices through face-to-face meetings. If someone is going out of town, make sure they have a safe travel and return plan before departing. If someone plans to drink, make sure they have a plan for getting home safely. 

Just so everyone knows my intent, this is not to be used to discourage leave or going to a holiday party. This is meant to let everyone know that we are a Twentieth Air Force family and that we're concerned about everyone's safety. 

I remind everyone that we carry an additional responsibility to this nation that the average citizen doesn't. I am proud of each of the nearly 10,000 men and women of the Twentieth Air Force. What you do on a daily basis is critical to our nation's security. I know it and our leadership above us knows it. You're the best at what you do and everyone sleeps peacefully at night knowing that the Twentieth Air Force is on the watch. 

Eileen and I wish all of you a happy holidays and a prosperous new year.